Wading through mountains of cans, bottles, televisions and computers, these are the migrant labourers forced to live and work in a Chinese rubbish tip.

As the country's population boom shows no sign of abating and its rampant consumerism continues unchecked, China has established itself as the world's biggest generator of solid waste.

Much of the rubbish created in Beijing is transported to the rubbish tip in Dong Xiao Kou, near Beijing, where a large community lives and thrives on salvaging what they can from the vast amount of waste.

A man sorts through a mountain of plastic bottles before they are taken away for recycling at the rubbish tip in Dong Xiao Kou

A woman, wearing a face mask to help mask the putrid smell emanating from the tip, wades through plastic bottles which can be recycled

A young boy and his grandmother watch television in their home inside the scrap village near Beijing

Two men organise dozens of old televisions and computers to be recycled in at the rubbish tip, located on the outskirts of Beijing

A woman walks past a large pile of plastic bottles that are set to be recycled

At Dong Xiao Kou, also known as China's 'scrap village', labourers have become a critical part of the waste management system.

Mostly consisting of migrant families, the labouring crews have flocked to the village from the surrounding provinces where they earn a living sorting through the waste and recycled goods.

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The work is often dirty and dangerous. Electronic waste, such as televisions, cameras, computers and cellphones carry unique hazards for those handling them.

They contain metals and various chemical compounds - such as mercury, cadmium and chromium - that can pose a serious risk to people who come into repeated contact with them.

While some chance their luck with electronics, other members of the community have branched out to specialise in recycling wood, cardboard or plastics.

The village is mostly made up of poor migrant workers from the surrounding provinces. Pictured are dozens of televisions and computers

Plastic mannequin heads and other pieces of debris lie scattered on the ground at the rubbish tip, known as 'China's scrap village'

A man and a woman pick plastic items out of a large pile which they will then try and sell or salvage in order to earn a living

A large digger helps load stacks of cardboard onto the back of a truck, while chickens roam freely around the scrap yard

A man peers out the window of the door to his shop, from where he works collecting items to be recycled

A group of men load cardboard on to the back of their truck. The more wealthy labourers can afford to transport their goods on their own trucks. Others are not so fortunate

China is the world's biggest generator of solid waste and labourers who salvage the goods have become a crucial part of the country's waste management system. Here, a man poses for a photo on the back of a truck loaded with discarded fridges and washing machines

A man waits for the goods he has collected to be weighed (pictured in a bundle behind him)

Three men warms themselves by a fire while awaiting the arrival of more waste

There are believed to be tens of thousands of scrap sorters working at various rubbish tips throughout China

A man and his son pose for a photo in the rubbish dump after a day spent trying to salvage goods that are carried to the site from the surrounding provinces

The work is often unhealthy and unsanitary. Here a group of men work their way through a large pile of paper

Tonnes of discarded electronics, such as computer processors and switchboards, lie heaped in a pile

A man lights a cigarette at dusk as he waits for a delivery of recyclable goods at the Dong Xiao Kou village near Beijing